On a related note... Does anyone know if those newer (post-1982) switches can be used in earlier 123s? Even if a little rewiring is necessary I'd be happy to do it. The important thing is they fit the holes in the center console and the door.

I'm having a hell of a time with replacement window switches of the earlier type... The original ones in the console finally gave out a few months back, and the new ones (OE, straight from the dealer) KEEP BREAKING! They just fall apart in a month, a week, or less... The worst was when I was driving down the freeway the morning after I'd had yet another new switch installed (less than 24 hours previously), I pressed the button to lower my window and it not only fell apart, it began SIZZLING! The little metal jumpers in the switch had come loose when it fell apart and were shorting.

It's easy to tell when they're beginning to fall apart; the switch buttons themselves begin to stick (you push the button down or up and it stays in that position when you let go). The dealer got an entirely new batch after I went through 6 or 7 two-button switches within a month; the newer ones have lasted me a whole month now (wow, a record!) but are beginning to stick and I fear they're about to fall apart again.

Anyone else having this problem? If I could use the "newer" post-82 123 window switches instead of the chrome-framed earlier ones I can only hope they're better quality. And having them illuminated would be a plus to...

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'81 300TD Wagon 355k (Miss Diesel)
'83 300SD 180k
'84 500SEL 190k (Parting it out)